Complementary and alternative veterinary medicine (CAVM)

Application of Veterinary Cold Laser Therapy in Holistic treatment of Pets

January 26, 2023

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Application of Veterinary Cold Laser Therapy in Holistic treatment of Pets

Cold laser therapy (also referred to as low-level laser therapy or Class IV laser therapy) uses focused light to increase blood circulation and stimulate the regeneration of cells.

This non-invasive, drug-free treatment is used to treat inflammatory conditions. More recently, it has been used in conjunction with traditional medical treatments to treat soft tissue or tendon injuries and arthritis. It can also be used to encourage wound healing.

Veterinary cold laser therapy has been gaining popularity among pet owners in Evergreen, CO in recent years. An increasing number of pet owners are discovering its benefits for pet healthcare. Similar to complementary treatments such as massage therapy and acupuncture, cold laser therapy can provide a wide range of benefits.

Veterinary laser therapy is an innovative treatment that has gained popularity in recent years as veterinarians discover its benefits for pets. Used similarly to acupuncture, massage therapy, and other alternative therapies, laser treatment can be used in conjunction with or in place of medication to manage pain, inflammation, and wound healing.

“Laser”—an acronym for “light amplification of stimulated emission of radiation”—refers to a unit that emits focused, penetrating light beams in three forms:

Monochromatic:Light that is a single wavelength (as opposed to natural light, which is emitted as a range of wavelengths)
Coherent:Photons (i.e., tiny particles of light or electromagnetic radiation) that travel in the same phase and direction
Collimated:Photons that travel in a single straight beam

Coherence and collimation give a laser penetrating power to a restricted area so that nearby tissues are unaffected.

Lasers are classified based on their wavelength and potential energy output, with four classes currently recognized:

Class 1lasers, such as barcode scanners used in supermarkets, are used safely every day
Class 2lasers, which include laser pointers and some therapeutic lasers, produce a beam in the visible spectrum (400–700 nanometers)
Class 3lasers include the most commonly used therapeutic lasers
Class 4lasers cause thermal injury to tissues and include surgical lasers used to cut and cauterize tissue during surgical procedures

How does laser therapy affect my pet’s tissue?

Therapeutic lasers use light waves of a specific wavelength to cause photobiomodulation, or the alteration of cellular and tissue physiology. Light absorbed by cellular components stimulates electrons and activates cells to promote growth, proliferation, migration, and repair.

The type and depth of tissue that responds to laser therapy depends on the wavelength of the light that is delivered. Most therapeutic lasers use red or near-infrared light, which has a wavelength of 600–1070 nanometers, although units with green, blue, and violet light, which have lower wavelengths, are becoming more popular. Laser beams of lower wavelengths are absorbed by superficial tissue, such as the skin, whereas beams of higher wavelengths penetrate deeper to muscles and bones.

Laser therapy helps tissue repair by causing the following:

Endorphin release
Vasodilation, which increases blood flow to bring in oxygen and cells involved in the healing process
Muscle relaxation
Decreased inflammation
Faster healing and repair

How Does Cold Laser Therapy Work on Dogs?

Laser technology has changed the face of medicine in both human and veterinary practices. In veterinary medicine, laser therapy provides your pet with a non-invasive, painless, non-surgical, and drug-free treatment that can target a variety of different health conditions. It is also safe to be performed in conjunction with other existing treatments. Although there are various types of laser technology, the most common laser used in veterinary medicine is the k-laser, also known as a ‘cold’ laser since it doesn’t generate any heat when used.

Here’s what you need to know about how cold laser therapy works and what benefits it can have for your dog.
How does a cold laser work?

The purpose of laser therapy is to create a naturally therapeutic effect. The cold laser is used to stimulate the natural healing process so that your pet recovers more quickly. This can be a recovery from an injury, planned surgery, or a general health problem. The way in which the laser works is by stimulating your pet’s body to produce a naturally-occurring substance called ATP. ATP is a form of energy that enables cells to regenerate more quickly, thus improving the rate at which your pet will heal.

In addition to this, laser therapy can also be used to reduce and manage pain by activating the lymphatic drainage system, reducing inflammation which in turn reduces pain. The laser also stimulates nerve cells to block pain signals from reaching the brain to reduce the amount of pain your dog experiences. Finally, the laser can also stimulate the production of endorphins, which also helps to counteract pain.
What medical conditions can cold laser therapy treat?

The main clinical benefits of laser use in pets include decreased inflammation, decreased pain, and improved wound healing.

Cold laser therapy has been shown to be a successful treatment in a range of veterinary health issues, including but not limited to:

Anal gland infections
Burns
Chronic pain conditions
Degenerative joint disease
Dental treatments
Ear infections
Fractured bones
Gastrointestinal disorders
Hip dysplasia
Infections
Injuries affecting the ligaments, muscles, and tendons
Osteoarthritis
Post-surgical healing
Respiratory issues
Skin lesions and wounds
Urinary tract issues

How many sessions of cold laser therapy will my dog need?

Every dog is different and therefore each treatment is tailored to the specific needs of each animal. This means that precisely how many sessions of this non-invasive and painless procedure your canine pal will need will depend on their individual circumstances including the severity of their health problem. Our expert veterinary team will be able to give you an estimation as to how many sessions your pet will need when you bring them to their consultation, but it is important to bear in mind that this number could change.

Each session is entirely painless, straightforward, and requires zero downtime, meaning that you can take your dog home and carry on with life as normal following their treatment.

Laser fundamentals

The term “laser” is an acronym that stands for “light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation”, and describes a device that emits radiation in the form of a flow of photons of light energy. Therapeutic laser has been referred to as “low level” laser and “cold” laser, but these are considered obsolete terms. They were intended to distinguish therapy lasers from surgical lasers. Surgical lasers rely on different media – gas or solid – to incise or ablate tissues as an alternative to using a scalpel or cautery, respectively.

Therapeutic lasers help modulate cellular functions through a process called photobiomodulation, a photochemical process in which photons from a laser source interact with the target cells via a non-thermal mechanism to cause either stimulation or inhibition of biochemical pathways. While the precise mechanism for photobiomodulation is not completely understood, it appears that cytochrome C, located in the mitochondria, serves as an important photoreceptor. Once light is absorbed by cytochrome C, mitochondrial respiration and ATP production increase, leading to global tissue effects.

Laser light is monochromatic (one wavelength), coherent (all photons travel in the same phase and direction), and collimated (minimal divergence of the laser beam over a distance). These three properties allow the therapy laser light to be focused on a specific area of the body, to penetrate the skin without heating or damaging it, and to interact with tissue with few side effects. The beam should be aimed at 90° to the surface of the area being treated. Wavelength influences the depth of penetration, and longer wavelengths penetrate deeper into the tissues. The optimal wavelength range for tissue photobiomodulation appears to be 650nm to 1,300nm; at longer wavelengths the laser beam penetrates deeper into tissue while minimizing absorption by the pet’s hair and skin pigment. Superficial wounds and joint injuries can be treated with shorter wavelengths, while longer wavelengths are better suited to treat muscle injuries.

The power of the therapeutic laser matters in terms of the dose delivered, and the time needed to deliver the treatment dose. Power is a unit of time, and is expressed in watts (W) or milliwatts (mW). One watt is one Joule of energy delivered per second, and the laser dose is typically expressed as Joules/cm2 – the energy delivered over a surface area. The most commonly used therapeutic lasers in veterinary medicine are Class III lasers, which may deliver energy from 1mw to 500mw, and Class IV lasers, which deliver power at greater than 500mw.

A lower watt laser provides less energy delivery to deeper tissues so the time needed to deliver a treatment is longer. A lower power laser is better suited for treating superficial structures because of the limited power density to drive photons into the deeper tissues.
A higher watt laser allows the treatment to be delivered over a shorter period and involves administering the laser energy with a sweeping motion over the affected area. This sweeping motion may provide more complete coverage of the treatment area and may cover surrounding areas that could be causing secondary or referred pain. Pulsing of the laser beam may provide less heating of tissues at the surface while allowing for an adequate level of energy to reach the deeper target tissues, but more research is needed to define the optimal approach to a pulsed laser beam.

Benefits of therapeutic laser

Most responses of cells and tissues to therapeutic laser have been studied in in vitro models (cell culture). There appear to be many distinct benefits to using therapeutic laser for its tissue effects. Therapeutic laser has been demonstrated to relieve both chronic and acute pain by modulating peripheral nerve function and nerve conduction velocities. Laser energy increases the speed of tissue repair by increasing local microcirculation as well as stimulating the immune system and reducing inflammation. Laser energy also enhances collagen and muscle tissue development, which in turn enhances healing.

There are several important “downstream” tissue effects from the application of laser light. These effects include:

Neovascularization
Angiogenesis
Collagen synthesis which enhances wound healing
Stimulation of nerve healing
Enhanced healing of tendons, cartilage, and bones
Reduced swelling from injury
Modulation of degenerative tissue changes
Mitigation of CNS damage following traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury

When creating a treatment protocol for therapeutic laser, it is important to consider these effects in order to maximize patient outcome. The actual time the tissue is exposed to light energy may also affect the outcome.